Road toll will stay: Chavan

“We are very clear that building roads by charging users toll has been a part of the state policy for almost 20 years now. This is a policy that has been adopted by the government to build roads quickly… This is being practised all over the country. Specific complaints of overcharging at certain toll booths are being separately probed,” said Chavan.

MNS workers have been vandalising toll booths in different parts of the state. Raj Thackeray has accused contractors of overcharging users, without repairing potholed roads or providing amenities, and continuing to do so even after recovering the construction cost. He was booked on Tuesday for making provocative statements.

Chavan said statements made by all political leaders were being examined by the home department and action would be taken as per law. He added: “We have already taken a decision to install electronic toll booths to find out how much toll is being collected. State transport buses will be exempted from paying toll so that common people are not burdened.

The toll policy is designed in such a way that only the economically well-off class of citizens who use four-wheelers have to pay up. Two-wheelers, cycles, agriculture vehicles do not have to pay toll.”

Chavan also sought to downplay Thackeray’s agitation saying the state had been mulling revisions in the toll policy ever since Anna Hazare first raised the issue more than a year ago.

In a cabinet sub-committee meeting on toll, Industries Minister Narayan Rane said the state should initiate strict action against Thackeray. The sub-committee decided that the toll charges would remain the same as per existing norms.